I really need to get a job.

   It’s not like I haven’t tried; trust me, I have.  The thing about getting a job is that they all expect you to have previous work experience.  Tell me, how do you get previous work experience, if you can’t get a job without previous experience? 

   Today I was turned down for yet another internship.  This one was with the Vocation center off campus.  I thought, “Hey, I have a dream, and I’d love to help others find their dream.  There’s no way I won’t get this job.”  Those thoughts were quickly erased, though, once I received an email notifying me that there were “too many qualified applicants,” which meant I wasn’t going to make the cut. 

   “Cheer up, Eunji,” Eunsang tells me.  “It isn’t the end of the world.  There are always other jobs to apply for.”

   “Yeah, but they won’t accept me,” I respond.  “I have to look competitive and hard-working on my Grad school application.”

   “There are so many ways to do that.  It’s not like getting a job will be the best thing on your application.”

   “The money would definitely help,” I snap accidentally.  Eunsang lowers her head and I sigh.  “Sorry.  I just want to be able to pay my way through Grad school, and it’s important I start making money as soon as possible.”  

   Eunsang nods and continues doing her homework.  I guess my rudeness has brought her back into the reality that we have an essay due tomorrow in our Texts and Ideas class, and neither of us have made progress on it.  

   I follow Eunsang’s lead and start outlining away.  We’re in a room that is intended for comfortable study-- armchairs, sofas, and a casual coffee table are spread throughout the room.  It is located at the end of the hallway in our residence wing, which has pros and cons.  

    Pro: It is close to mine and Hyerin’s room. 

    Con: It is so close to the dorm rooms, people tend to hang out in the rooms     rather than utilize them for studying.  

   As predicted, a few students come into the room and disrupt the peace, one of them being Hyerin-- my super materialistic roommate.  She isn’t a bad person, at least I don’t think she is; she’s just way too into looking pretty.  She wakes up at five every morning (to my dismay, her alarm clock is incredibly loud) so she can do yoga.  She then showers (and tends to hum, preventing me from falling back asleep,) spends half an hour on hair, then another half hour on makeup.  Her outfit?  She picks it out the night before, of course.  Needless to say, our personalities don’t match very well.  On top of everything, she thinks she is my protector, which is not what I consider her at all. 

   “Oh, Eunji!”  She calls.  I glance at Eunsang, who is holding back a sigh, then look up to Hyerin.  “The girls and I were just talking about this new thing on campus called ‘Sweetheart Search.’”  

   “What is it?  Do you look for the little Sweetheart candies, like, in Easter eggs or something?”  I ask.  Hyerin’s group of friends laugh and I fake a smile.  

   “Not quite,” Hyerin smirks.  “Ever heard of ‘The Bachelor?’”

   “Oh no,” I blurt.  “Please, please don’t tell me someone thought it would be a good idea to--”

   “Hold a competition to find the perfect girlfriend?” She finishes.  “I am telling you that they did, and I took part in its creation.” 

   “What?!”  Eunsang and I simultaneously say, our voices raised.  We both know how Hyerin can be, but to do something so silly is questionable even for her.  

   “That’s right.  Luhan and Kai are in pursuit of the perfect girlfriend for Sehun.  Who is their best friend that’s a girl?  Me, of course; so, they’ve hired me to scout girls for the competition.  Eunji, I’d like to recruit you.”

   My jaw drops.  “Hyerin, you can’t be serious.”  

   “I’m completely serious,” she assures.  “The boys paid me, and I have to find different types of girls, and five of them.  Two other girls are participating in the scouting.  The girl with the most successful pick gets a bonus at the end, and Eunji, I have faith in you.”  

   I’m about to argue, but I recall something important she just said.  “They paid you?”

   “Yeah, and they’re paying the participants, too.  20,000 won a day, three times a week.  It isn’t that lavish, but the pay will increase as girls start getting eliminated.”

   “It’s a webcast?”  I ask.

   “Don’t tell me you’re considering this,” Eunsang mumbles.  Sadly, I am.

   “Yep!”  Hyerin interrupts.  “Recordings are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while air times are Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the next five weeks.  So, any questions?”

   “She isn’t going to do it,” Eunsang states.  “How believable is it that two guys are going to pay 15 girls a total of 900,000 won every week?”

   “Trust me, honey; they have the money.  Not only are they loaded, but they presented this idea at the University’s Social Media Contest, which awarded $5,000 to the group that came up with the most interesting way to promote the new Social website that the University has made.  They won, and that’s where the webcasts will air.” 

   “And they’ll really pay?”

   “Eunji,” Eunsang snaps.  “Get your head on straight.”

   “Eunsang, I don’t mean to be rude, but I think she should listen to me right now.  This is a chance for her to make 300,000 won.  Not only would she make a profit, but she has the potential to find true love and become an internet sensation,” Hyerin suggests.  I look at my best friend, who is pleading, with her eyes, that I don’t participate.  I then look at my roommate, who promises the one thing I have had my head wrapped around today.

   I don’t actually have to make this guy fall in love with me, right?  There’s no way I could do that.  I could just sit back, enjoy the ride, and get my money. 

   “So, what’s it going to be?”  Eunsang murmurs. 

   “Do what’s best,” Hyerin cooes so convincingly. 

   It may not be what’s best, but it’s definitely something I can handle.  

   I look to Eunsang and in my lips.  She understands and gets back to writing her essay.

   “I’ll do it.” 

---

   I hear a phone buzz and squint.  I have been napping since my 2 o’clock class ended.  Hyerin stayed up all night (with Luhan and Kai, in the room,) to discuss plans for today’s shooting.  When Luhan and Kai found out I would be participating, they gave me big thumbs-ups. 

   “You’ll definitely win the audience over,” Kai said and patted my head.  “Fans will be raging about how you should win.” 

   “What do you say, Kai?  We’re judges on the show; why don’t we just predetermine Eunji’s win?”  Luhan chirped.

   “You can’t do that!”  Hyerin scolded.  “Sehun would figure it out and the audience would definitely figure it out.  No picking favorites!  We have to judge each girl by how well they complete a task.” 

   “Yeah,” I said and nuzzled my face into my pillow.  “I’m going to sleep, guys.”

   “Alright, sweetie.  We’ll be super quiet,” Hyerin promised.

   That particular promise, however, is one she has broken multiple times.

   So, here I am, dreading the cameras that I’ll be facing soon.  I want to dress up, but I don’t want to encourage an online female audience to dress up for boys like it’s a necessity, so I simply roll out of bed, brush my hair, throw it in a ponytail and put my red tracksuit on.  

   I should do this for every episode, I think to myself and chuckle.  No, I should try and dress up next time.  I am getting paid to at least pretend I’m interested in the male lead.

   I finally check my phone and see that I have a text from Hyerin.  I wish Eunsang had been the one to send me a message-- she hasn’t spoken to me in a week.  I’ve let her be, though; usually she makes her way back to me when something is wrong. 

    Hyerin: Shooting starts at 5:30!  I need you over here now!!!

I look at my watch and see that I have 30 minutes.  

    Me: I’ll be there in a sec.  Gonna grab some food.

    Hyerin: Skip the food!  The first episode is all about everyone having an individual dinner with Sehun!  AND SHOOTING STARTS IN 30 MINUTES!

I sigh.

    Me: On my way over.

   When I reach the dining hall (the scene of this oh-so-romantic dinner) (not,) I see that they’ve put thick curtains up to block off the casual corner of the cafeteria.  You see, at our school we have the “hard” area and the “soft” area in our cafeteria: you eat in the hard area where the tiles are, and you socialize and drink coffee in the soft area.  So, the soft area is reserved today for this special group of girls.  Fun.

   “Name please,” A short guy with cute, smiling eyes says.  

   “Choi Eunji,” I answer with a grin.  He scans the list, checks off my name, and gives me a smile.  

   “You’re the first girl to come here looking normal.  Seriously, you are going to see fashion models when you step behind this curtain.”

   “Oh, I’m sure,” I laugh.  This guy is cute.  “Are you going to be checking people in at every one of these events?”

   “Sure am,” he sighs.  “But at least I’ll get to check them out, too,” he winks.  The wink makes me blush and I suddenly forget how to swallow properly.

   “I’ll make sure to be invisible, then,” I awkwardly respond and scurry behind the curtain.  

   Wow, you really dodged that bullet Eunji.  A cute guy hits on you and you passive-aggressively dismiss him.  Great job.  So proud.  Cool.

   “Eunji, where have you been?!”  I hear Hyerin cry.  She pulls me into a hug, pulls back, and looks at me with a frown.  “You couldn’t put on a cute outfit?”

   “Didn’t want to,” I shrug.  She pinches her nose with her fingers and groans.  

   “I chose you because you are like this.  I chose you because you are like this.  I chose you, because you, Eunji, are like this,” she mumbles to herself repeatedly.  I take a seat in the chair with my name on it, which is the last chair, and look around at the other contestants.

   There’s Eunsang, in the first seat, dressed from head to toe in cuteness.  Now I understand why she didn’t want me to participate in this.  I get up to go confront her, but Hyerin pushes me back into my seat.

   “If you have to say something to her, wait until we’re done for the day.  We don’t want you two in a fight right before the cameras start rolling.”

   My eyebrows squeeze together and I cross my arms.  “Fine.  How long should it be before I eat with this much discussed Sehun?”

   “Each girl gets 2 minutes with him, so thirty-ish minutes from now.  They’re about to start.”

   “What?!”  I yell.  “I’m hungry now!”  

   “It’ll have to wait!”  She yell-whispers back.

   “Can’t you get me something from the store?  A banana or something?”  

   “I have a meeting with Luhan and Kai behind-the-scenes.  We get to watch the interactions between the girls and Sehun on a TV.”

   “Fine,” I moan.  I sink in my chair and flail my arms around.  I look at the girl beside me.  “Wake me up when it’s your turn.”  

   I wake up for the zillionth time today, greeted by the poke of an unfamiliar index finger on my shoulder.  I thank the girl, sit up straight, and wipe any drool off of my face that may have escaped my mouth (which I’m sure was swinging agape while I slept.)  I watch the girl walk in.  She’s tall, pretty, and thin-- I’m surprised she isn’t a super model.  I shake my head.  I don’t care.  I’m healthy and beautiful in my own way-- Short, 50 KG, and pretty funny, if you ask me.

    “Miss Choi Eunji,” a voice whispers.  I walk over to the owner of that whisper and he leads me to another secluded area.  “As soon as the girl inside walks out, you walk in.”

    “Got it,” I affirm.  We wait a few moments more, and the girl comes out.  

   She’s crying.  How on Earth is she crying?  

   I walk in and see a boy who is possibly just as tired as I am.  He gestures his hand toward my seat and I sit beside him.  He sits there, stares at me, and I look at my palms.  My stomach is growling loudly at this point, and I sigh.

   “Are you going to eat that?”  These are the first words I speak to Sehun, and I don’t think I’ll regret them.